This invention relates to a multi functional peripheral using a portable telephone which is a portable network terminal now used and an operating method thereof.
Recently, portable devices such as portable telephones have been developed and are popularly used by a lot of users. The portable telephone is used as a portable network terminal to easily access information in any desired position and acquire information.
Most of multi functional peripherals each including a scanner and printer are designed to have multiple functions in recent years. Since a large number of functions are provided for the multi functional peripheral, the operation of the user becomes complicated. For example, when a multi functional peripheral having a double-face printing function, staple function and sort function is used, it is required for the user himself to set a double-face printing mode, staple mode and sort mode. Further, when a multi functional peripheral having a color printing function is used, it is required for the user himself to set color tone.
It is considered to store the setting contents for each user in the above multi functional peripheral having multiple functions in order to simplify the complicated operation of the user. For example, in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-307570, the technique for effecting an operation according to a menu screen registered for each user when the user operates the device by use of a touch panel as an operating section of the multi functional peripheral is disclosed. In this case, a screen corresponding to a user code input by the user is displayed on the display means of the multi functional peripheral. Therefore, the user can operate the device by use of the previously registered screen.
However, with the above technique, authentication of the user is made only by use of the input user code and the safety of the registered screen for each user is low. Further, the screen is effective only for a multi functional peripheral in which setting information for each user is registered. Therefore, even if setting information for each user is registered in a specific multi functional peripheral, there occurs a problem that the setting information cannot be used in another multi functional peripheral.
Further, in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 11-32154, the technique for connecting external devices such as a video camera and portable telephone to a digital image forming apparatus and operating the external devices by use of the digital image forming apparatus is disclosed. However, in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 11-32154, only the technique for operating the connected external devices by use of the digital image forming apparatus is disclosed. With the above technique, it is possible to operate the external devices connected to the digital image forming apparatus by use of the digital image forming apparatus, but the operability of the digital image forming apparatus cannot be enhanced.